At a dark time in U.S. history, the trans-Atlantic slave trade was at its peak, with more than 12 million people shipped to various nations only to endure punishing labor on farms and in factories, building railroads, and more. “Slavery was abolished 150 years ago and yet there are more people in slavery today than in any other time in our history,” said American Public University System (APUS) professor Michael Pittaro. Today, there are an estimated 21 million victims worldwide and only a small percentage of these victims are reported to authorities.

Human trafficking is a local issue. Read more about why community stakeholders and citizens gathered in West Virginia to learn how to recognize and fight human trafficking at the local level.

By Jennifer Bucholtz, criminal justice and forensic science faculty member at American Military University

Split-second decisions are a given in a time of war. Military members—from top-ranking generals to platoon leaders to brand-new soldiers—are trained extensively on how to react to myriad scenarios with precision and logic.

By Matthew Loux, criminal justice faculty member at American Military University

Every law enforcement officer must sustain mental sharpness and a high level of productivity at work. There are many opinions about ways to stay productive in the workplace, but very few address law enforcement officers specifically.

By Elizabeth Cook, faculty member, International Relations at American Public University

An estimated 27 million people are currently enslaved around the world in either the forced labor or sex trade (Bales, 2012). This is a truly disturbing statistic that fosters discourse about why it is wrong and must be stopped.

By Stephanie M. Hunziker, PhD, criminal justice faculty at American Military University

Last week, the California State Senate passed SB-967, a bill that would affect all state-funded college campuses to redefine the meaning of consensual sex. For decades now, state lawmakers around the country have relied heavily on the “no means no” campaign against sexual assault and rape.

By Mark Bond, professor of criminal justice at American Military University

Incidents of dogs being shot and killed by law enforcement officers continue to make national headlines. There’s even a term for it, “puppycide,” a term coined by investigative journalist Radley Balko, who reports on the dramatic increase of cases involving police officers killing family dogs.

As tension and violence continued to escalate this past weekend in Ferguson, Missouri, there remains intense scrutiny about the response by police. Some vocal critics, like Missouri state Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, accuse the department of being heavy-handed by using tear gas and other crowd disbursement techniques on peaceful protestors.

About American Military University

AMU is the nation’s largest provider of online higher education to the U.S. military, and offers more than 190 degree and certificate programs including Homeland Security, Intelligence Studies, Emergency & Disaster Management, Criminal Justice, and more.